TuneCore, INDMUSIC team to help musicians profit more from YouTube

INDmusic helps musicians monetize the use of their music on YouTube by placing ads on videos that use their recordings and cover versions.

INDmusic helps musicians monetize the use of their music on YouTube by placing ads on videos that use their recordings and cover versions. ((INDmusic)

Ryan Faughnder

INDMUSIC had big success monetizing the viral success of Baauer's "Harlem Shake" this year. Now it's expanding its reach by partnering with TuneCore, a distributor and publishing administrator for digital music, to make it easier for artists to make money from YouTube.

INDMUSIC (pronounced "indie music") helps artists monetize the use of their music on the video-sharing service by placing ads on videos that use their songs. With the new deal, TuneCore's artists, who are largely independent, can get access to that revenue. TuneCore is also making its music publishing service available to INDMUSIC's network.

As the number of revenue streams available to musicians increases because of the Internet and streaming services, third-party companies are emerging to manage those income sources for artists.

"We know there's opportunity out there and we want to make sure the money is getting into the right hands," said Brandon Martinez, INDMUSIC's co-founder and chief executive.

INDMUSIC, which calls itself the biggest music network on YouTube, hopes TuneCore's artists will also make videos for its network, giving it more content. It currently counts 288 artists and labels as partners and has 17,000 videos and more than 2.74 million subscribers.

TuneCore helps artists get their songs on streaming services like Spotify and digital retailers like iTunes, and collects and distributes revenue from those services, which now include YouTube.

The company, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., says artists have earned more than $330 million since its founding in 2006.

Said Jamie Purpora, president of music publishing at TuneCore: "If you're not represented properly, you're missing out on revenue."